Improved steering apparatus



NITFD STATES ATFNT OFFICE.

sIDNFY M. DUMONT, FRANK DUPRAZ, AND J. DIoIrAsON, OF vEvAr, INDIANA.

IMPROVED STEERING APPARATUS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent N0. 55,257, dated June 5, 1866.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, SIDNEY M. DUMONT, FRANK DUPRAZ, and JOHN DIoKAsoN, all of Vevay, Switzerland county, State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Steering Apparatus for Vessels; and we do hereby declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description thereof, ref'- erence being' had to th'e accompanying drawings, makin g part of this speciication.

Our invention consists of certain attachments between the pilot-wheel and rudder of a vessel, whereby the rudder, from its midway position to either side, may be operated by a progressive power or mechanical leverage, and the circuit-connection of rope always remain taut.

In the accompanying drawings, A2 is an ordinary pilot-wheel. In place of the common cylindrical hub of the wheel, we construct the hub of doulo'le cones AA, grooved spirally on their faces, as shown. The tiller-rope B B is rigidly secured to the hub at a, the part B being designed to operate upon cone A and sheave-pulley G, and from thence pass down to idler I), and connect, in the Ordinary way, as shown, through tiller E to the rudder F. The portion B of the tiller-rope operates upon cone A', and over sheaVe-pulley C and idler D', connecting in a similar manner to the rudder.

To compensate for and take up the loss or gain of rope in running over the differing diameters of the cones A A', and also the unequal tension incident to the varying positions ot' the tiller E, the sheave-pulleys C C' are grooved laterally and spirally, as shown, the

spiral grooves agreeing with those on the cones I A A'. The largest diameters w ofthe sheavepulleys oppose the smallest diametersx of the cones AA the smallest diameters y opposin g enlarged diameters of the cones. The enlargement z compensates for the slack incident to the motion of the tiller E.

By this device the tiller-ropeB B is taut in every position of the pilot-wheel and'rudder,

and by means ofthe cones A A the leverage is greatest where most power is necessary, when the rudder is hard up on either side, the tiller-rope B or B being then on the small diameter of the cone A or A.

We claim- In the described combination with the doublc cone-shaped pilot-wheel hub AA', the compensating sheave-pulleys OO', as described, and for the purpose specified.

In testimony of which invention we hereunto set our hands.

SIDNEY M. DUMONT. FRANK DUPBAZ. JOHN DIGKASON.

Witnesses:

GEO. H. KNIGHT, JAI/Ins H. LAYMAN. 

